Stampotique mail art

This week I joined in Roc Nicholas' mail art swap on Facebook.  I love using the inside of envelopes for the patterned paper but it really surprised me how much of my mail looks the same from the outside - there's hardly any variation in text!

I used one of the boring envelopes as a template, drew round it and added ink through lots of stencils.  I stamped 'dog' on the bits of the envelope that had text on and placed them in a row.  Roc's top tip before posting is to coat the envelope with gel medium to protect it.  I was very glad I did this as it was absolutely throwing it down when I went out to the post office.  However, it did pick up the blue dylusions ink and made the dogs slightly blue - oops!!

I enjoyed making the envelope so much I decided to make another.  This has some added extras and features over on the Stampotique Designers' blog today.

Stampotique stamps used:

Dog by Roc Nicholas #2433

Horse by Roc Nicholas  #2408

Just be u by Roc Nicholas  #2422

the art of practising gratitude

"The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience 
more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, 

express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems."

http://www.happify.com/public/articles/the-science-behind-gratitude/

I've wanted to keep a gratitude journal since reading Ann Voskamp's excellent book 'One Thousand Gifts' but I'm not great at keeping 'proper' journals or diaries, or calendars even ;)  But I find a challenge is a great boost to creativity so I was keen to join in with Bernice's challenge to practise gratitude for 21 days in May.

This is a fabulous blog with, amongst other things,  quotes, videos, songs and a creative technique to try each day.  I am only up to day 2: be positive, but that's ok because today's words are 'be kind to yourself' and I've had a minor gynae op so haven't been able to do much, and there's really no pressure to get the journal pages completed (plus you get the weekends as catch up time!)

I'm using a diary that I bought at the start of the academic year and have set aside the May pages to write in every day.  I'm using the other pages as journal pages.

The creative challenge for day 2 was to use bubble wrap to print with.  For me, 'being positive' is about looking at the good things in life so I cut my bubble wrap into cloud shapes and adapted the traditional 'silver lining' saying!

It's not easy to see but I added some silver stitching to the white stitching around the cloud.  [That's all I managed to do today, I now have my feet back up!!  I don't think journal pages have ever taken me so long!]

Stampotique Stamps used:

Raindrops by Madga Polakow

Dog by Roc Nicholas

Stampotique art journaled tag

I love making tags.  I don't know what it is about them, but I love them!

I also love Roc Nicholas' Stampotique images.  'Dog', one of the latest release, stars on this tag.  Roc's designs are so open that you can stamp them onto pre-painted paper for a different effect each time.

I played around with a paintbrush (a bit of a shock for me as I prefer the unpredictability of a baby wipe to apply paint usually, it's a way of getting around my perfectionism) and some watercolour paints for this background.  I did add a hint of orange with a Ranger archival pad and a Primark makeup sponge though.

One day I'll get around to displaying all my tags in my craft room.  For now they live in a box or in a pile on my desk and I enjoy browsing through them every now and again.

Stampotique stamps used:

dog  2433  Roc Nicholas

row of numbers  7213 Amy Wilson Wellenstein

french journal page  10015 France Papillon

barcode text  10020 France Papillon

barcode  10019 France Papillon